I see it's getting to you! I did not even want to get into the people and their attitudes. I was more concerned with protecting you from poison!

"No one needs anyone, they don't even just pretend." That's from "I'm afraid of Americans" David Bowie - the first song I put on my blog here lol. (Happy 4th!) I have blasted that song for years. I will analyse the video here one day maybe. But the key takeaway is that no one smiles in the video except for the psychotic guy and even he is sneering more than smiling.

I have a many-part series on my "real" blog about trying to smile at people in California - it did not go well and I stopped after about a year of agony. I should have moved to Thailand where every single person is delighted to see me. The joy I can cause at 2 am in my 7-11 is overwhelming.